


Breath

by Heather_Night



Series: Breath [1]
Category: Animal Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Explicit Sexual Content, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pandemics, Surfing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-24 19:21:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22003150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heather_Night/pseuds/Heather_Night
Summary: A romantic getaway for Deran and Adrian goes awry and it's not just because Craig and Pope invite themselves along.
Relationships: Deran Cody/Adrian Dolan
Series: Breath [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1806958
Comments: 4
Kudos: 54





	Breath

**Author's Note:**

> This is the very first story I wrote in AK fandom and for that reason alone it might be my favorite. Allthehearteyes handled beta for this and two subsequent stories in this 'verse (thank you!) but this is the only one ready to be released from captivity.
> 
> Thank you for riding along as I tackled this year's hurt/comfort bingo card!

_You take the breath right out of me  
You left a hole where my heart should be  
You gotta fight just to make it through  
'Cause I'll be the death of you_

\- _Breath_ by Breaking Benjamin

“Hey, I had an idea.”

Adrian’s feet left the ground and he squeaked, embarrassingly, while his heartrate shot upward. 

It was a voice he knew well, one that inspired comfort instead of fear, but he was so keyed up he’d overreacted. That had been happening all day and despite giving himself a pep talk, Adrian just couldn’t seem to shake the feelings of impending doom.

Adrian set down the planer and pulled down his mask, turning to face Deran. “An idea?”

Deran frowned. “What’s the matter?” His boyfriend was on the overprotective side and Adrian could see he was about to kick it up a notch.

“Nothing’s the matter.” Adrian had to work hard not to cross his arms defensively. It’s not that he had a problem showing vulnerability but Deran had enough going on in his life and he didn’t need Adrian’s little petty bullshit worries adding to the mix. Especially when Adrian couldn’t even put his finger on what was bothering him.

Deran stepped forward, slowly setting his hands atop Adrian’s shoulders, massaging gently. “You’re strung too tight, like you’re going to snap.” Deran squeezed one of Adrian’s shoulders and then redirected that hand to cup Adrian’s chin, moving slowly. “And you’re too pale. Seriously, what’s going on?”

Adrian grasped at the first excuse he could come up with. “I guess I’ve been pushing myself a little bit too hard. I wanted to finish this board up today.” The truth was he didn’t know what was going on. As for being pale, his skin always telegraphed his emotions.

“I’ve got news for you, today is nearly up. I thought maybe I’d fill you in after I get off of work.” Deran brushed some of the hair off of Adrian’s face and Adrian leaned into the touch. After years of keeping things platonic except behind closed doors, it still surprised Adrian, and made him giddy, when Deran sought contact with him out in the open. 

And he couldn’t get enough of it.

“Hey, are you sure nothing’s wrong?” Deran had moved closer while Adrian’s eyelids had lowered. The funny thing was, Adrian hadn’t even realized he’d closed his eyes. Yeah, Deran was definitely a source of comfort. He blinked his eyes open to find Deran’s bright blue eyes staring into his face intently.

The sight brought a smile to Adrian’s face. Deran’s blue eyes were his best feature in Adrian’s opinion and whenever Adrian had their full attention, he felt a lightness. “Nah, man. Just tired, I guess. So, don’t hold out on me, what’s this idea of yours?”

“Well, I was thinking we could go up the coast to Rincon for two, maybe three, days, just the two of us, and, you know, celebrate.” Holy shit, Deran Cody was proposing a romantic weekend away to celebrate their six-month anniversary. Of course, romance for Deran meant surfing but Adrian wouldn’t have him any other way.

Adrian bit his lip to keep his smile from getting out of hand. He knew when he was super happy, his serial killer smile came out and he didn’t want to scare off his hot-like-the-sun boyfriend.

“Oh, come on. Don’t hold back. Show me the SK special.” Deran teased him. Adrian had made the mistake in confiding in Deran about his serial killer smile, the description bestowed upon him by his sister, and it was coming back to haunt him…in the very best way.

Laughter burst from Adrian’s lips. His cheeks hurt from the wide smile and his eyes felt watery. Once he got his laughter under control, he brushed his lips lightly over Deran’s. “That sounds amazing. Are we camping on the beach?”

“I know a guy who knows someone who will rent us a place right on the beach. Nothing but the best for you.” Deran brushed a thumb over Adrian’s cheekbone, once, twice, and it was hypnotic. The serial killer smile subsided as Adrian once again sunk into the comfort of Deran’s touch.

They really couldn’t afford a place on the beach but Adrian wasn’t going to spoil Deran’s romantic gesture. They’d both been working their asses off and deserved a break. “When were you thinking of leaving?”

Deran’s cell phone trilled loudly and he cussed, pulling it out and glaring at it. “I need to take this.”

Adrian waved at him to go ahead and he set about cleaning up his work area. He was toast and there was no way he was going to get any decent work completed until he rested. The weekends were the busiest time for both of them so they’d probably leave on Monday at the latest which gave him a couple of days to square away the priority jobs. 

Running his hand over the surface of the long board Adrian yelped as his finger snagged on a rough patch. He was about to plop it into his mouth when Deran intercepted his finger in a light hold. His boyfriend inspected it closely before he drew it into his mouth. That didn’t stop Deran from the conversation he was having as he hummed around Adrian’s finger in response to whatever question he’d been asked. The sting had already left and now other body parts were taking an interest as Deran lightly sucked on his digit. 

Adrian mouthed _asshole_ at Deran and batted at him with his other hand, missing widely.

Deran pulled back, releasing Adrian’s finger with a loud pop, face creased in a wide smile. “Yes, Craig, I’m listening. Meet me at the bar and we’ll figure it out. Yeah, I’m leaving Real Surf now.” 

“Duty calls?” Adrian checked his finger over but couldn’t see even a hint of blood. Scrapes and nicks were an occupational hazard although if Deran was always on hand to tend to them like that, Adrian wouldn’t mind the minor injuries at all.

“Yeah. Rain check on our discussion?” Deran’s forehead wrinkled in worry. “Craig needs me.”

Adrian smoothed his hand over Derek’s cheek in reassurance. “Sure. Why don’t you wake me up when you get home and we can talk before you crash?”

Deran cupped Adrian’s crotch, squeezing lightly. “Maybe we’ll do more than talk.”

Dropping his head on to Deran’s shoulder, Adrian nuzzled the side of Deran’s neck. “Count on it.”

When Deran stepped back Adrian dropped his arms and didn’t cling. He felt more settled now that he’d seen Deran although he’d rather be tagging along to the bar than closing up and heading to their place alone. But clingy was a turn-off so he lightly pushed Deran away.

Adrian would never come between Deran and his brothers. The lack of a close relationship with his own family, excluding Jess who was too busy for him with her new motherhood gig, gave him a deep respect for the sibling bonds Deran had, especially with Craig. Craig might be a big doofus who consistently made bad life choices but Adrian didn’t doubt for one minute that he’d lay down his life for Deran and that made him special in Adrian’s book.

With a light salute with fingers to his forehead, Deran disappeared out the door. Adrian finished cleaning up his work area now that he didn’t have a distraction. The promise of a trip up north with Deran buoyed his spirits.

It was almost enough to keep his mind from circling back to the oppressive feeling of dread he’d been experiencing all day.

-0-

Something was bothering Adrian but Deran didn’t want to push him for answers.

For someone who came across as being so easy-going Adrian could be a stubborn little shit and if Deran pushed too hard, Adrian would clam up on him. Deran also tried to be aware of pushing Adrian’s boundaries. There was too much history there between them for Deran to steamroll over Adrian just to satisfy his curiosity. 

Gentle nagging was effective but he needed time to do that, time they hadn’t really had lately. The Drop took up almost all of his waking energy and Adrian was working at Real Surf, helping Deran with the books at the bar and taking some classes at UCSD. Some nights they tumbled into bed too damned tired to do anything except sleep which was a fucking crime as far as Deran was concerned.

He parked the Scout and approached the entrance of The Drop, Craig slinking out of the shadows to meet him. “What’s going on?” He inspected his older brother but he there were no injuries showing so that was at least something.

Craig cricked his neck toward the door and Deran rolled his eyes; Craig wasn’t going to talk until they were off the street. He pulled out his keys and let them inside, flipping lights as he went. He had a fuck-ton of shit to do so Craig would have to talk while he got the bar ready for opening.

Instead of Deran telling Craig what to do, his brother stepped up and pitched in. That told Deran that whatever Craig needed, it was probably a pretty big favor. “Dude, spill it already.”

Craig rubbed the back of his neck. “I, uh, need to get out of town for a while. Just until some shit blows over.”

“You need to define what this shit is before I agree to anything.” Deran would do anything for Craig but he needed to know the full score before he committed to a plan of action.

Moving his hand from the back of his neck, to his chin, Craig rubbed that body part. It was a classic Craig tell, telegraphing his embarrassment. “Isleptwithamarriedwomanandhercophusbandwantstokillme?”

It took Deran a moment to parse out the message from the run-on sentence. “Uh, huh. And what makes you think getting out of town for a while will fix the problem? If he wants to kill you now, what’s going to change by Wednesday?”

Craig scrunched his nose up and if he wasn’t such a tall guy, he could easily pass for someone much younger. His mannerisms, hell, even his speech, belonged to someone a decade younger. When was Craig going to pull his head out of his ass and get his shit together?

Hands clasped together in his best non-verbal plea Craig begged. “He’s a cop here on vacation and they’re supposed to leave by mid-week. Come on, Der, I know you’ve been making plans to leave town for a few days. Let me tag along?”

Deran snorted. “Yeah, leaving with Adrian for our anniversary. You really want to tag along for that? And we’re not leaving until late Sunday night. Won’t that be too late?”

“I’ll stay out of sight until then but yeah, I really want to get out of town. Come on, Adrian won’t mind. He likes me. And I’ll stay out of your way!” Craig was pouring on the charm and normally Deran wouldn’t fall for it but he could see the fear in Craig’s eyes. He was actually afraid this other guy was going to come after him.

Opening his mouth to automatically shut down Craig, he paused as he thought about it. The funny thing was, Adrian probably wouldn’t mind. He liked Craig, had surfed with him often, and as long as they got some time away from him Adrian would probably be agreeable.

The door, which should’ve been locked, opened and Pope entered the bar. 

Deran punched Craig in the arm; it was harder than a love tap but it wouldn’t even leave a bruise. “Let me talk to Adrian first, see what he thinks.” Deran didn’t have to run every little thing past his boyfriend but he’d just promised this trip would be the two of them and he wasn’t going to wreck it over Craig’s inability to keep it in his pants. 

“Run what by Adrian first?” Pope approached squinting at Deran. Pope didn’t actively dislike Adrian but he didn’t trust him. Hell, Pope didn’t trust anyone, maybe not even Craig and Deran.

“I need to get out of a town for a few days and Deran’s going to let me come to Rincon with him and Adrian.” Which was of course not at all what Deran had said but it’s what Craig wanted to hear.

“Rincon? I haven’t been up there in over a decade. I would love to take another crack at The Cove.” For the first time since Lena had been removed from his care and placed in a foster home Pope seemed to be in a decent mood.

What the fuck? His romantic getaway was turning into a Cody Family Reunion or some shit. 

“You do know this is like a romantic thing I’m doing with Adrian, right?” Deran’s voice had a whine to it but he couldn’t do anything about it. He wasn’t going to full on refuse Pope—if he was going to let Craig join him and Adrian then he certainly couldn’t tell his oldest brother to fuck off—but Pope wasn’t exactly the most easygoing person to be around and he didn’t want Adrian to feel uncomfortable.

Pope made eye contact. “Don’t be making cow eyes at each other when I’m around and it’ll be fine.” 

Deran figured that was about as accepting as Pope would ever be. He rolled his eyes before going into the back room. He lugged a keg to the bar, muttering beneath his breath. Once he had the keg wrestled into place, he dragged the back of his hand across his forehead wearily. Apparently, his brothers coming up north was a thing and there was no stopping it. 

He started trying to figure out how he was going to break the news to Adrian that their romantic getaway was being crashed by his brothers.

It was a good thing Adrian was so mellow when it came to his family. Well, not Smurf—Adrian definitely had strong opinions about her—but Adrian knew Deran’s brothers. The good but mostly the bad. They were loud, obnoxious assholes who would do their best to ruin things for Deran but he was pretty sure Adrian wouldn’t care overly much.

As long as they had the bedroom to themselves.

-0-

Adrian crossed his arms over his chest and bit down on his lip to keep from smiling. Only Deran would propose a romantic getaway and then invite his brothers along. He ought to be upset or freaked out but he could only feel fondness toward his lover. 

Of course, that wasn’t going to prevent him from giving Deran some shit about this change in plans.

“So, Craig and Pope will be here shortly and we’ll be leaving for Rincon together? Will they be joining us for all of the festivities?” Adrian quirked an eyebrow.

Deran spit out the denial like he would food that had spoiled. “Fuck, no. That’s actually a really disturbing thought. Why would you even say that? I feel like I need to bleach my brain now.”

The smile finally cracked his bland façade. “Relax, I’m just giving you shit. You know I like Craig. Pope…actually scares me. A lot. But since you’ll be there, he won’t do anything to me.” When Deran didn’t immediately reassure him, Adrian prompted, “Right?”

Deran slung an arm around Adrian’s shoulder. “You had me going there for a minute, you fucker. But no, Pope will not start any shit with you. Don’t worry, Adrian, I’ll take care of you.”

His boyfriend grasped Adrian’s chin lightly and turned his head, planting a kiss on his lips. 

They drew apart as Pope’s SUV pulled up and he stuck his head out of the driver’s side window, whistling loudly. “I hope you guys aren’t going to play tonsil hockey the whole fucking time we’re up north.”

“Fuck you, Pope. You don’t have to come along, you know.” Deran fired back.

Adrian shouldered his pack and handed his board to Craig who had stepped out of the vehicle; Craig was a fuck up in a lot of ways but Adrian trusted him to secure his board. He wished they were taking the Scout but that wouldn’t be a comfortable drive for four grown men. Whatever. Adrian planned to never be alone with Pope so there shouldn’t be any problems.

Once Deran and he were settled in the back seat, Pope kept looking at him in the rearview mirror. Adrian leaned his head against the window, closing his eyes, blocking everything out. It was 3:00 a.m. and if they timed it right, they’d arrive for the early morning surf. He dozed off to the sound of the Cody brothers razzing each other. For some reason he found it comforting.

His forehead smacked against the window as Pope went over a bump. He kept his eyes shut, trying to figure out if he could fall back asleep or if he needed to wake up.

The brothers were still talking, Pope’s voice mainly quiet but punctuated by bursts of excitement, Craig’s rambunctiousness and Deran quietly interjecting. Sort of like their personalities, he supposed.

Craig’s comment caught his attention. “Are you sure he feels okay? He seems pale and tired.”

Adrian wondered who Craig was talking about. Craig had a lot of acquaintances but Adrian wasn’t sure he had a lot of friends; he mainly hung out with Deran. He was the most social brother as far as Adrian could tell but it was a bit mind boggling that Craig noticed shit like people being sickly.

“Jesus, it’s like I’ve fallen into some sort of Jerry Springer episode.” That was Pope. Adrian almost snorted. That seemed like Pope—very much in touch with his feelings…not.

“He’s fine, okay? He’s just been working a lot. Between his job and taking classes and helping me out he doesn’t get a lot of sleep.” Deran sounded defensive.

Oh. They were talking about him. Weird.

“Well let’s wake up sleeping beauty so we can get some breakfast. Unless he’s too delicate for that.” Pope was either pissed or amused; Adrian couldn’t tell which. That pretty much summed up his whole experience with Pope.

Adrian pushed away from the window and stretched as much as the space would let him. “Where are we?”

“IHOP.” Deran squeezed his thigh. 

“Enough chitchat. Let’s go in already.” Yep, Pope had zero patience for Adrian. Or maybe he was hangry and he needed food right the fuck now.

It took a while to work out the kinks from sleeping against the window but Deran kept a comforting hand on his low back. Adrian wondered fleetingly what Pope thought of that gesture and then decided he didn’t care; he’d let Deran worry about his brother.

They ended up at a table close to a group of what looked to be co-eds. Craig immediately set about flirting. Pope ignored them. Deran muttered under his breath about beach bunnies.

Adrian ignored them all and studied the menu. He decided he wanted pancakes. He wasn’t training so skipping protein for one meal wouldn’t harm him. The carbs in the pancakes weren’t what he’d typically eat but he’d lost some weight if his looser clothing was anything to go by so it shouldn’t be an issue.

At least until he gave his order. Deran was a bit of a food Nazi when it came to his meal choices. Adrian knew it was the one thing he’d learned from Smurf—showing love for someone by making sure they ate well—that wasn’t criminal so he tried to roll with it.

But he really wanted pancakes this morning.

-0-

Craig flirted with their waitress, Jenni with an ‘i’. She kept making eyes at Adrian but Adrian kept his nose buried in the menu. 

The ladies almost always gravitated toward Adrian. Craig didn’t know if it was the whole freckled, blue-eyed sweet surfer boy vibe Adrian gave off or what, but chicks really dug him.

Chicks dug Craig, too, but he had to work for it. What a waste. Adrian had all that potential to be a chick magnet and he squandered it on Deran.

Deran who was giving Adrian shit about his breakfast order. 

Craig put his elbows on the table and watched with interest. He hadn’t seen Deran and Adrian together much since they became an official couple and he was intensely curious to see how they navigated the whole relationship thing. Adrian was a good guy, loyal to a fault, and Craig didn’t have any doubts he’d do right by Deran.

Even if Deran was being a little asshole.

“Are you sure you don’t want bacon or eggs with that?” Deran scowled at Adrian.

Adrian handed the menu to Jenni. “Nope, just blueberry pancakes. Thanks.” He threw a distracted smile at the waitress and she just about melted. 

“You need to eat better.” Deran’s scowl was still in place.

Craig’s attention shifted to Adrian who was sitting next to Deran. He watched avidly as the guy turned slowly in his seat to stare at Deran, blinking his eyes. “Says the guy who regularly eats Doritos and Captain Crunch.”

“Not together!” Deran yelped, shooting a glance at first Pope and then Craig.

Adrian pushed his chair back and climbed to his feet. “Where are you going?” Deran’s voice had an edge to it. Craig thought maybe his little brother was worried he’d offended Adrian.

“To the bathroom,” Adrian said the words slowly, rolling his eyes. “I’ll be right back.”

The beach bunnies at the nearby table followed Adrian’s progress across the room, commenting on his wide shoulders and shapely ass. The brunette in the group was a real stunner but she seemed infatuated with Adrian.

Deran was not amused but Craig was.

“Thanks a lot, Craig.” Sarcasm from Deran before 6:00 a.m. 

“What did I do?” Craig actually didn’t know what Deran’s problem was except for the fact he and Pope were crashing his romantic gesture. 

“You planted that shit in my head about Adrian being pale and tired.” Deran huffed. He dumped creamer into his coffee and stirred it with his finger, staring into the liquid. Abruptly he pushed back from the table and stalked off after Adrian. “Be right back.”

“Right.” Craig snorted. He’d found himself snorting a lot since they’d set out on this little trip. Yanking Deran’s chain was a lot of fun.

Pope’s palm slapped against the table top. “Are you sure you can trust him?”

“Who?” Craig turned to stare at his brother. Pope was probably sick of their bickering and wanted to change the subject.

Pope enunciated the name slowly, as though Craig was dense. “A-dri-an.” 

Craig tried to shut this down before Pope went off road with this thought; once Pope was convinced of something it was hard to change his mind. “Pope, I can vouch for him. We’ve known him since, what, he was a toddler. So have you, come to think of it. He’s a good guy, one of the best.”

“What do you know about his family?” Pope squinted at him. This wasn’t casual interest; this was Pope making sure his family was safe. 

Craig searched his memory banks. “He keeps in touch with his sister, Jess. There was some sort of shit when Adrian was a teen and he spent some time in a foster home but things got better. At least until Adrian and his dad had a falling out and the old man booted him out of the house.”

“That’s fucked up.” Pope took a sip of his coffee while Craig wondered how the Codys stacked up in Pope’s ranking system if Adrian’s life was fucked up. His brother continued, “There’s something about him. He looks like a one of those preppy assholes from the east coast who pop their collars or something.” 

Craig burst into laughter. Adrian _did_ look like he could be an entitled asshole with money but he was actually dirt poor and one of the sweetest guys Craig knew. 

“Honest, Pope, Adrian is a good guy.” Craig reassured his brother who shrugged in response.

The girls at the table started talking more loudly and Craig turned to see what was going on. The voluptuous brunette Craig had been eyeing was standing up, trying to hand Adrian a piece of paper. He was smiling but it didn’t reach his eyes. 

The bell over the door dinged and two guys walked in, looked around and made a beeline for the beach bunny table.

“I think Deran’s boyfriend is about to get his ass handed to him.” Pope’s tone was placid but his hands were splayed atop the table, ready to take action. He might not trust Adrian but since Deran wasn’t here to look after him, it looked like Pope would stand in. Or maybe he was just bored. Decoding his older brother’s thoughts was impossible.

The taller, muscled guy who looked like he wanted to pound someone’s face in grabbed the brunette’s arm and drew her aside.

Pope tensed his muscles as if to stand and Craig put his hand on his arm. “Hang on. I think A’s got this.”

“Fifty bucks says he’s going to take a beating.” Pope said.

“Fifty bucks _and_ you pick up the tab for everyone’s breakfast if I’m right and he handles this.” Craig didn’t need the fifty bucks but he would put it to good use and this way he’d also be saying thanks to Deran for inviting himself along.

Craig turned in his seat to get an unimpeded view. 

As if on cue, Adrian said, “Wait, you look familiar. Vans US Open at Huntington Beach? Dude, you totally shredded that last wave.” Adrian praised the other guy who seemed unsure of how to respond. 

Deran chose that moment to return and Adrian called him over. “Hey, this is that guy I was telling you about from Vans last year.” The three of them talked competitions for a few minutes, the guy actually smiling by the time Adrian excused them when Jenni made her way across the restaurant, tray laden with food. 

“See? Crisis averted.” Craig announced. “Now pay up.”

Pope rolled his eyes but his lips quirked upward, as close to a smile as they were likely to see.

-0-

There were more surfers in the ocean, bobbing up and down gently in the waves, resembling a herd of seals in their sleek, dark wetsuits. Since they’d been able to paddle out from the property, they’d gotten a head start on everyone waiting for the park to open. It had been a little slice of heaven to Adrian.

Now here he was, watching Deran cut back and forth across a gorgeous wave. His boyfriend and Craig had challenged each other to do a Sushi Roll. The pancakes had long since burned off and Adrian was dragging so he’d headed to shore, content to watch the brothers horsing around.

The only thing marring the moment was that Pope had followed him.

The oldest Cody brother was a bit of an enigma. Craig had referred to him as a psycho and Deran had told him a long time ago to steer clear of him but Adrian had also seen how patient and gentle the older brother was with Deran’s niece, Lena. 

The silence stretched out uncomfortably so Adrian cleared his throat nervously, intent on saying something, anything.

Pope shot him a squinty eyed look but Adrian toughed it out. He could do this. He even had a topic in mind although it could totally backfire. “Are you going to teach Lena how to surf?”

The other man’s face smoothed out. Adrian once knew someone who had a Bull Terrier. That dog, Chewie, was crazy strong with intense pound-for-pound lean muscle tissue. He wasn’t particularly aggressive but he had what his friend’s dad called ‘prey drive’ which made him dangerous towards smaller animals. His eyes had been flat like a shark’s.

Like Pope’s right now.

 _Shit_. Adrian hoped Pope wouldn’t knock his teeth out, or worse. 

It was hard not to run from that look but Adrian reminded himself that Pope probably had his own version of ‘prey drive’ and Adrian didn’t want to trigger it.

Pope turned and glared at him. “She’s in a foster home, asshole.”

“Well, yeah, but foster homes are about reunification with families. At least that’s what they told me when I was in one. Are they letting you visit with her?” Adrian asked. 

The other man grunted; Adrian didn’t know if that was a yes or no grunt.

The glare softened but Pope was staring him down. It was pretty effective considering Adrian had the height advantage. Pope grunted. “Did they treat you decent in your foster home?”

Huh. It had been a long time since he thought about it. “Yeah, my foster mom was okay.” She saw to Adrian’s needs but she’d been pretty distant. It hadn’t really bothered Adrian after he’d become best friends with Deran. 

“Did she let you see your family?” Pope’s brow was furrowed.

“Yeah, sure.” Adrian hadn’t wanted to see anyone but Jess. He pushed those memories aside. He was much happier now.

With Deran.

The other man looked back toward the ocean where Craig was getting his ass handed to him by a killer wave. “So, let’s say Lena wants to learn to surf. Do you know anyone who teaches kids?”

Adrian supposed he looked like an idiot with his jaw dropped down low but it took a moment for him to collect himself, shut his mouth and answer. “I do know someone but I thought you’d want to teach her. I mean kids usually learn best from people they look up to and it’s obvious Lena thinks you hung the moon and the stars.”

Pope made a weird kind of noise and Adrian kept his focus forward. He didn’t want to accidentally set Pope off. 

Someone shouted and Adrian’s attention zeroed in on Deran who executed the superman, kicking the board up nice and high, but missed the rodeo flip, tumbling into the water.

Craig hooted but his next attempt wasn’t any more successful. 

Adrian let the silence settle over them this time as the two brothers headed back toward shore, Deran gathering his board up and jogging over to where Adrian stood with Pope. “Everything okay?”

Bright blue eyes looked him over and Adrian smiled; Deran was ridiculously protective of Adrian but unlike last year it felt like it was out of caring instead of some twisted, stalkerish, controlling behavior. “Just tired. Ready to head back to the house?”

Craig trotted up next. “Did you see that? I almost landed it.”

The right side of Pope’s mouth twisted; maybe it was a smile. “Well you landed it, alright…on your ass. How about you and me clean up and head into town?”

“What about you two? Want to check out Santa Barbara with us?” Craig was clueless sometimes but he was Adrian’s favorite brother of Deran’s, hands down. 

Deran elbowed Craig in the ribs. “We’ll pass, thanks.”

“But aren’t you going to…ooooh.” Craig flipped his wet hair out of his face, blushing.

“Yeah, dumbass, oh. We’ll find something to entertain ourselves with, don’t worry.” Deran said, shocking the hell out of Adrian by grabbing his hand and towing him away, seemingly unconcerned that he left his brothers in their wake watching them. 

Adrian grabbed his board and matched Deran’s strides. He was a little out of breath which was unusual but he put it off to excitement. 

_They were going to have the house to themselves, at least for a while._

Deran threw him a smile, all teeth. “Did you blackmail Pope into getting out of the house?”

“No man, we were just talking about him maybe teaching Lena how to surf when you guys joined us.” Adrian wasn’t sure what Pope thought about the suggestion but maybe him getting Craig out of the house meant he was okay with it.

Pulling up short, Deran tugged Adrian into his chest one handed, his board gripped in the other. He pounced on Adrian’s mouth, devouring him. Adrian’s head spun but quickly cleared once Deran drew back. “That’s an awesome idea. No wonder Pope’s in a good mood.”

“How can you tell he’s in a good mood?” Adrian asked, totally curious.

Shrugging, Deran turned back toward the house. “Well he didn’t punch you.” 

Adrian didn’t think he’d ever get a handle on Pope. Even Craig, all good humored on the outside, social party animal, had a dark temper.

Then again there were days he didn’t really grasp Deran’s moods. 

There was just something about the Codys, Deran in particular, that drew Adrian in. He shivered as the breeze kicked up, happy they were moving inside.

They stowed their boards on the patio and rinsed off outside before heading straight toward the bedroom. Adrian had no idea what the living room looked like and as Deran pushed him on top of the bed, he realized he didn’t even know the color of the walls in their bedroom either.

Not that it mattered.

The bedroom had a king-sized bed and both men were horny after surfing which was typical.

Adrian stared up hungrily at Deran’s perfect body. The light played over his sleek muscles, highlighting them as they flexed. Deran’s heavy cock was jutting out, waving hello, and Adrian licked his lips. “I’ll try to be quiet but I hope your brothers leave soon.” 

Usually Deran would take that as a challenge but he smiled sweetly, leaning over and kissing Adrian with more lips than tongue.

“I don’t like it when you’re quiet.” Deran sounded smug. Adrian knew his boyfriend enjoyed winding him up and making him come, the louder the better. It was still embarrassing sometimes but Adrian couldn’t help himself. Not with Deran. 

His own cock filled making Adrian restless and he pulled Deran down on top of him. They wrestled around but it lacked Deran’s usual competitive edge. Adrian hoped Deran wasn’t getting tired of him already. He knew Deran had slept around a bit after coming out and at this point, he’d probably had more partners than Adrian and he worried he wouldn’t keep his boyfriend satisfied. What if Deran got bored with him?

Deran moved away for a moment and Adrian whined but quieted when Deran returned with the lube. They both had clean tests so they were going without condoms for the first time which was both worrying and exciting. Adrian knew he wouldn’t sleep with anyone else and he thought Deran, who wasn’t shy about pulling his punches, would tell him if someone else caught his interest like that.

His suddenly bleak thoughts were swept aside as Deran nibbled on his neck while restraining his wrists. That was followed by lube slicked fingers opening him up. It lacked Deran’s usual frantic pace. When Deran slid inside of him, it was without his usual punch. 

Adrian wasn’t going to complain that Deran was open to showing him his softer side but he wanted it fast, and he wanted it hard, and he wanted it right the fuck now. Surfing always got his motor running. “Come on, Der, quit holding back.”

Deran finally got with the program, pulling back and slamming in with barely controlled thrusts. He hauled Adrian toward him, hands beneath his ass and the angle changed and…”Mmm.”

“I thought,” Deran withdrew, “you were going to be,” and then slammed forward, “quiet?”

“Fuck you—” the _you_ turned into an embarrassing squeal when Deran hit his P-spot.

“Jesus, Adrian, maybe I need to,” Deran paused as he flexed back and then thrust forward, “gag you.”

Shit. That was really hot. The idea alone was almost, but not quite, enough to send Adrian over the edge and later he would be embarrassed about the noises he was making but right now he could give zero fucks.

Deran cupped his hand over Adrian’s mouth only they were moving around so much his palm covered Adrian’s nose, too. He could still draw breath but there was definitely a smothering effect and holy crap, Adrian didn’t even know he had this kink and Deran had taken their already sublime sex life to another level. 

Adrian couldn’t stop the high-pitched noise spilling from his mouth and Deran’s hand muffled it a little but maybe not enough because he pressed down harder. Adrian saw black spots. He was both dizzy and energized. _Holy fuck_ was his last coherent thought as Deran’s thrusts coupled with Adrian’s diminished air intake triggered his release.

Things got a little floaty and Adrian gave in to the sensations, losing time. He hadn’t felt this good in…

“God damn it, open your eyes already!”

Deran sounded upset and that was enough to bring Adrian around. He blinked his eyes open to find Deran hovering over him, brows wrinkled in concern. 

Adrian lifted his hand with less coordination than he was used to but he managed to touch Deran’s cheek. “Wow.”

“Wow, he says. You gave me a fucking heart attack.” Deran leaned over and rested his forehead against Adrian’s.

It was a very tender gesture and Adrian soaked it up. He remained still, letting Deran break the moment which he eventually did, drawing back and staring down at Adrian. “What happened?”

“What do you mean what happened? You just rocked my world.” Adrian still had that floaty feeling and he was loath to let it go. 

Deran pushed Adrian’s bangs to the side and then his fingers slid through his hair in a petting motion. He was frowning but it wasn’t his angry frown, or even his worried one…this was his thinking frown. Deran cleared his throat. “So, you, um, liked that?”

Adrian tried to smile but it felt more like a smirk. A self-satisfied smirk. “I didn’t like it,” Adrian began, noting how Deran’s face fell but before he continued, “I fucking loved it. Couldn’t you tell?”

All of the extra tension Deran’s had been holding in his upper body relaxed and he smiled shyly. “I guess the screaming was a giveaway but you fucking passed out on me, man, and I wasn’t expecting it. I thought I’d killed you.”

Sitting up carefully, Adrian pushed past the momentary vertigo so he could pull Deran into a hug. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know I passed out. I can’t even describe how I felt but I want to fucking do that again.” Adrian realized Deran might not have enjoyed it and he pulled back so he could see his lover’s face. “I mean, if you liked it, that is.”

Deran’s lips were soft but insistent as he pressed against Adrian’s mouth, his tongue working against their joined seam before Adrian let him in. He could get lost in Deran’s kisses, especially when they went on and Adrian forgot to breathe—

Deran tore away from him abruptly. “Jesus, are you going to pass out on me again?”

Maybe? Adrian didn’t give voice to his thoughts there but he lifted a shoulder. “I don’t want to do anything that you don’t want to do, Deran. I hope you know that.” It seemed the majority of Deran’s life choices had been made by someone else up until recently and Adrian was not going to be another person in his life making demands on him, not even sexual demands, unless Deran was 100% into them, too. 

“Yeah, I know.” Deran bumped his shoulder into Adrian’s, reverting back to friend from lover. Or maybe not as his next words took Adrian by surprise. “And for the record, I’ve never come so fucking hard in my life as that. When I put my hand over your mouth, you completely lost it. You couldn’t hold anything back and it was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. And heard. And felt.” 

Apparently, that answered that question. Adrian had thought they were sexually compatible before but hot d-d-damn, they’d just found a new gear and he couldn’t wait to test drive it some more. Had he really been worried Deran was getting bored with him? Nope, not after that.

“Let’s clean up and then I’ll make you something to eat. You need to keep your strength up.” Deran swatted at his hip, smacking him soundly.

Adrian’s mind automatically went to the gutter. He definitely needed his strength if they were going to go another round.

Deran chuckled. “You’re insatiable. Wet suits? Long boards? Any of this ringing a bell?”

Stretching his arms overhead, Adrian peaked around the hair flopping in his face, smiling. Deran’s attention wandered from his face to his chest as Adrian flexed. 

Yeah, Adrian wasn’t the only insatiable person in this bed.

Shaking his head, Deran extended his hand to him and Adrian took it. He would’ve been happy to laze in bed for a while but he was looking forward to checking out the bathroom and seeing if it was as nice as the rest of the house. Well, make that the bedroom since that’s the only room he’d spent time in. It certainly hadn’t disappointed.

-0-

Yesterday had been a fucking perfect day in Deran’s book. They’d stumbled out of the bedroom while Craig and Pope were still gone, snacking on cereal—Adrian joined him for Captain Crunch which tickled Deran—before returning for who the fuck knew which round of sex they were on. 

He’d lost count. 

Deran adjusted the water temperature while Adrian finished brushing his teeth. They’d lost any shyness around each other they might have had back in their teens and they’d fallen into an easy routine in the bathroom, one peeing while the other brushed his teeth and then switching before sharing the shower. 

The shower was something else. Blue marble or granite or some shit with shower heads coming from all directions. There were settings like power rain, pulsating massage, hydro-mist, eco-rain, rain/mist and rain/massage.

There was also a hand-held water wand with a jet massage setting that gave Deran evil thoughts. Adrian was always sensitive after sex and it was fun to play with him while he squirmed and moaned, trying to get away from too much sensation.

“Nice shower. Let’s try the power rain setting.” Adrian reached past him and twirled the setting. A nice, steady stream of water coated them from the multiple shower heads. The house boasted an eco-friendly water system but Deran didn’t see how this set up possibly saved on water.

At the moment he didn’t really give a shit, too busy lathering up Adrian’s body while Adrian returned the favor. 

Damn, his boyfriend was hot. He had the body of a world class athlete even if he wasn’t competing anymore and there was something sweet about the freckled skin, auburn tinged hair and blue eyes that made Deran think of an angel. An angel in need of debauching which Deran couldn’t wait to do. Again.

Once they were clean, Deran removed the water wand with one hand while looping his arm around Adrian’s, trapping Adrian’s back to his front.

Adrian looked over his shoulder, smirking. “What happened to wet suits and long boards? We never did make it back out yesterday.”

“Oh, I’ve got your long board right here.” The line was so cheesy that both men broke into laughter.

They’d make it out this morning. It was still the ass-crack of dawn and they had time.

The laughter died when Deran aimed the jet massage at Adrian’s plumping cock.

“Jesus,” Adrian moaned as he squirmed back into Deran. 

Deran was happy to grind against Adrian’s fuckable ass. “Nope, I still go by Deran.”

Adrian tried to laugh but it turned into a porn-worthy moan and in under a minute both of them were primed for round two.

So much for surfing.

They tumbled out of the shower and Deran swiped the thick bath towel over both of them but it barely blotted the water, both of them too impatient to get to the bed.

Deran took a moment to throw back the covers and spread the towel down—he had maybe one brain cell still working on the practical instead of fucking—and then he pushed Adrian down on his back. 

Adrian licked his pink lips. “Can we try some breath play again?”

Breath play? So that’s what it was called. He was no stranger to porn but he hadn’t made it to that kink yet. If he ever had some down time when Adrian wasn’t around, he’d be checking into it, purely for research purposes.

“I won’t hurt you, Adrian.” That was the promise Deran made both to himself and Adrian.

“I trust you, Deran. Now please fuck me.” That was enough for Deran who tugged on Adrian’s balls, grabbing his scrotum between his index and middle fingers, rotating his hand like a winch until Adrian was shifting and hissing. 

They were both keyed up from their shower so it didn’t take long before Deran was slicking up his cock and sinking back into Adrian who wrapped his long legs around Deran’s waist. It was a revelation staring into Adrian’s expressive face, watching his blue eyes widen and his nostrils flare. He kicked himself remembering this was the sight he could’ve had all along but when they’d first started fucking, Deran wasn’t comfortable with facing a guy.

He’d been young and stupid. It’s a good thing he’d found the balls to come out or he’d never witness Adrian throwing his head back, moaning, as Deran jackhammered into him, his long pale neck begging for his touch.

Adrian had lost all patience and grabbed Deran’s hand, pressing it into his neck. Deran’s hips stuttered, losing the rhythm, but he quickly found it again. He squeezed lightly, Adrian’s graceful neck flexing beneath his fingers. 

His lover’s pupils expanded, eating up the pretty blue. Deran looked down; Adrian’s dick had also expanded, plump and pink. He never would’ve guessed Adrian would be into this but his boyfriend kept surprising him. Deran longed to have total control over Adrian, always had, even though he hadn’t articulated it even to himself. Being handed this opportunity was like every birthday wish he’d ever had finally coming true. 

Deran’s body took over and he rolled his hips, over and over, warmth pooling in his core. This was going to be epic.

Adrian was panting, thrashing like a bug pinned in place, face pink from exertion. “Ahhh…Deran!” He screamed and then went silent, eyes closed and face slack.

His own climax barreled across his body but Deran had the presence of mind to draw back his hands. He would kill himself before he ever hurt Adrian again.

Deran came back to earth, satisfied in a way he’d never been before, slumped over Adrian. He rolled to the side and gathered Adrian in his arms, rolling him until he rested partway atop Deran. Steady even breaths puffed across Deran’s chest; Adrian was breathing.

This time Deran tamped down on the panic and focused wholly on the warmth of Adrian’s body. A surge of protectiveness snaked through him and he tightened his arms around his lover. It wasn’t long before Adrian was stretching like a big cat and then cuddling into his side. 

This, Adrian snuggled into his side, is what Deran had been missing with any other guy he’d ever fucked. Some of those guys had bodies every bit as hot as his boyfriend’s, but Deran trusted only Adrian. 

“You okay?” He slid his hand through Adrian’s damp hair.

“Mmm, hmmm.” Adrian purred. “Perfect.”

Deran probably looked like the biggest goofball ever with a huge smile plastered across his face but damn, he had a good thing going here.

A sharp bang on the door made Adrian jump and Deran tensed; he didn’t need any shit, not on such a perfect day.

“What happened to surfing?” Craig called.

Pope chimed from the background. “Let’s eat and get going.”

Deran cursed. His brothers wouldn’t leave him alone until they got their way.

There was nothing for it so Deran released his tight hold on Adrian and rolled out of bed. “Might as well grab our boards.” 

Adrian murmured agreement but he didn’t move. 

Deran grabbed his shit and huffed towards the bathroom. “We’ll be out in ten. Why don’t you make breakfast?”

There was grumbling but Pope dragged Craig from the door. 

Deran smiled. Crazy, hot sex followed by surfing with his favorite people. He’d definitely hit the jackpot.

-0-

Pope was confused.

Craig had made scrambled eggs, Pope had contributed toast and Deran was standing at the counter assembling things in a blender.

“What the fuck are you doing?” He bit out.

Deran didn’t turn around. “I’m making Adrian a smoothie.”

“Why the fuck did we bother to make breakfast then?” Pope demanded. 

“Pump all your brakes, would you. I’m going to eat the eggs and toast but Adrian gets sick if he eats too much right before we get in the water.” Deran ended the conversation by starting the blender.

Craig snickered next to him. Pope turned his attention on him. “What the fuck does pump all your brakes mean?”

“Man, you must be getting old. It means slow your roll.” Craig helped himself to more eggs and Pope glowered. “What? I don’t want them to go to waste.”

Adrian entered the kitchen wearing a rash guard and board shorts. He looked exhausted and Pope thought his skin could glow in the dark, it was so pale. 

Deran poured the contents of the blender into a tall glass and handed it to Adrian. The bright smile and warmth in his eyes told Pope the guy was every bit as lovesick for Deran as his smoothie-making little brother was for him.

It was almost vomit inducing.

Adrian leaned against the counter and chugged the smoothie.

“Jesus Fucking Christ on a crutch, what the fuck happened to your neck?” Craig had never learned how to use an inside voice but Pope was as startled to see the red marks visible around Adrian’s neck.

Lowering his glass, Adrian’s eyes widened comically. “What?”

Deran took Adrian’s glass and set it down, turning him towards the window. “Jesus, does it hurt?” He cradled Adrian’s neck gently, his thumb swiping over a mark.

Pope didn’t know pale skin could glow that shade of red, except maybe from a sunburn. “It’s…just…I’m fine. I’ll meet you outside.”

Throwing his patented scowl over his shoulder, Deran followed Adrian out of the room.

Craig made a strangled sound and Pope turned to look at him. “What?”

“Our little brother is apparently into erotic asphyxiation and your only response is what? Not to mention finding out Adrian is a screamer which, hey, I didn’t mention so I should get points for that. This is way more than I needed to know about Deran’s sex life.” Craig’s eyes were wide and he looked stunned.

Deran sailed back into the kitchen, grabbed Craig’s plate away from him, dropped into a chair and started forking up eggs. He took a swallow of Craig’s juice before glaring. “Did you have to embarrass him like that?”

“It took me by surprise! You know I wouldn’t hurt Adrian on purpose.” Pope thought Craig seemed sincere.

Pope had endured just about enough of family feelings for the day and it wasn’t even 7:00 a.m.

Clearing his throat, Deran dropped his head. “It took me by surprise, too. I didn’t know I marked him.”

Pushing away from the table, Pope began doing the dishes. He wasn’t sure how much more he could take of this. He didn’t care who Deran fucked but listening to this Dr. Phil touchy-feely shit was making him nauseous. 

He washed the pan and loaded the dishwasher and by the time he was finished, Craig and Deran were ready to go, too. Thank Christ.

They donned their wetsuits and went outside where Adrian was standing with the boards. The guy had a hard time meeting anyone’s eyes but he at least was ready to surf, board in hand. Pope found himself walking to the water with him, listening as Craig and Deran bantered about Sushi Rolls. 

Adrian caught the first wave and Pope had to admit the guy had style. He’d known Adrian surfed the circuit, was even competitive, but it had been a long time since he’d seen him in person. His roundhouse cutback was maybe the most beautiful he’d seen except on TV. The guy had style and grace. 

Deran’s style was more power than grace but he definitely drew the eye.

Craig used his height to generate superior whip in his cutbacks so although he lacked the technical expertise of either Adrian or Deran, he was fun to watch.

Adrian returned to the queue behind Pope. “It’s a large medium-long period W swell. They’re opening into a fully rip-able wall but remember the rocks by the highway.”

Pope nodded his thanks and caught the next wave, working on his cutbacks, content to enjoy the world-renowned Cove. He yelled his happiness into the sky as he got to do a foam climb.

This was worth putting up with the couples counseling or whatever shit that had been back at the house. Although Pope had to give it to Adrian, the guy could flat out surf and was free with his impressions about the water.

He lost track of time, enamored of the morning despite getting dumped multiple times. He decided to sit out some sets and paddled over to the lone figure bobbing on the swells, also taking a break—Adrian.

So far, the guy had initiated a conversation every time they’d ended up along but this time Adrian remained quiet. 

Quiet except for the harsh wheezing Pope could hear over the ocean sounds. “Hey, what’s wrong with you?”

Adrian listed on his board and Pope tried to prop him up. Something was definitely wrong.

He stabilized Adrian with one hand while he put his fingers in his mouth and whistled shrilly. 

It took less than a minute for Deran, followed by Craig to appear. In that time Pope had observed Adrian was shivering, his eyes were glassy and his lungs were congested or some shit. 

“Adrian?” Deran was frantic as he eased his board on the other side of his boyfriend. 

The man in question lifted his head and looked toward Deran. “I feel weird.” His voice was barely audible but what Pope could hear was low and scratchy. 

Adrian toppled to the side, right into Pope’s arms. The guy’s face was slack, and Pope saw a glimpse of white; his eyes had rolled into the back of his head. Fan-fucking-tastic.

“Adrian, shit. Give him here.” Deran shoved Adrian’s board forward and Craig caught it as Deran maneuvered closer.

Pope was more than happy to hand the unconscious guy off but he had a funny feeling in his stomach, watching as his little brother started to unravel. It reminded him a little too much of when Cath…nope, he wasn’t going to go there.

Craig somehow became the voice of reason. “I’ll tow from the front, Pope from behind, and we’ll get you to shore. It’s going to be okay, Deran.”

He had his doubts but Pope slid into the water and propelled Deran’s board using a breaststroke kick. It was awkward as hell since he was dragging his own board by his ankle leash but Craig had the harder part steering their awkward train-wreck. 

Once they were close to shore Deran slid off the board, supporting Adrian’s head above water, using the arm tow. As soon as his feet could touch the bottom, he swung the limp body into his arms and marched toward the sand while Pope fought to control all four boards. 

This was not how the morning was supposed to go.

In the distance Pope could hear sirens and he thought maybe someone had noticed Adrian’s distress and called 911 but the sirens moved away from them.

Once Pope was on solid ground, he ditched the boards and approached his brothers. Deran was hunched over Adrian, pinching his nostrils, blowing into his mouth. 

Craig had Adrian’s wrist in his hand. “I think I’ve got a pulse.”

 _I think?_. Jesus. “I’ll call it in.” Pope sprinted for the house. He rocketed into the kitchen where he’d left his cell phone charging. 

How the fuck was a busy signal possible? It’s not like this was LA or something. 

Pope headed back outside where Deran was bent over his knees, making God awful sounds, Craig patting him on his back. “What the fuck?” Pope hadn’t been gone that long. Had Adrian…

“Adrian’s breathing on his own but it was intense. Did you call for an ambulance?” Craig climbed to his feet and walked over to Pope.

Pope dialed 911 again. “Fucking busy signal.”

Deran had straightened, his face blotchy, gnawing on his lower lip. “What do we do?”

Craig of all people had an answer. “Let’s move him inside and keep calling until we get through. We might as well make him comfortable.”

Brushing Adrian’s cheek lightly first, Deran then bent over and whispered something.

Adrian didn’t even twitch.

“You’ve got to be exhausted, man. Why don’t I bring Adrian?” Craig offered. He was the tallest, most muscular of the three brothers.

Deran set his mouth in a straight line. “I’ve got him.”

Pope interceded before Deran started throwing punches. “You can barely sit up straight. I’ll give you a hand and we’ll go ahead, clear the way.” He tried his phone again but the results were the same.

It was a sign of just how wrung out Deran was that he allowed Pope to pull him to his feet and steer him toward the house. He looked over his shoulder to see Craig scooping Adrian into his arms, easily managing his weight. They made a quiet procession into the house. 

It could’ve been worse, Pope supposed. Although it was hard to believe Adrian, who had been killing his sets just minutes before, had suddenly collapsed and stopped breathing.

Pope didn’t like all this drama. Drama he could get at home, he didn’t need to travel three hours to get an extra helping of it.

The hell of it? Adrian _was_ a nice guy, just like Craig had said, and Pope didn’t like seeing him like this. Everyone thought he didn’t have a heart. The problem was, he felt too much. It was easier to stop the pain by not caring so he wouldn’t get hurt.

Fucking Adrian. 

-0-

Deran had to do something but he didn’t know what. “Call them again.”

Pope pulled out his phone, dialed the three digits and pushed the speakerphone button. 

Busy signal.

Deran had wrestled Adrian out of his wetsuit and left him in the board shorts and rash guard but just that little bit of activity had burned bright pink spots into the apples of his boyfriend’s cheeks. 

At least Adrian was breathing on his own. His temperature was also shooting up into the stratosphere.

Fuck it. “Where’s the nearest hospital?”

Craig pulled his phone out and jabbed at icons. “Uh, I can’t get a connection to search. I remember seeing a sign when we got off the 101. Let’s just head out that way.”

Deran might’ve been impressed with the level of Craig’s helpfulness but he was too busy freaking out over Adrian. His healthy boyfriend who had seemingly keeled over from the fastest ever lung infection or some shit. Could someone explain to Deran how Adrian had participated in energetic sex not even three hours ago and was now passed out on the bed, struggling to draw breath and burning up?

Matching actions to words, Craig approached the bed to pick up Adrian. “No! I’ve got him. Can you get the car ready?” Deran had felt leveled out on the beach but now he was catching his second wind. He had this. 

He had Adrian.

Pope gave him an incredulous look but didn’t argue. Craig looked like he wanted to argue but ultimately settled for a shrug. Deran knew Adrian was taller than he was by a fair margin but they actually matched up pretty well when it came to their weight. It wasn’t exactly easy to heft Adrian into his arms, one arm around his back and the other beneath his knees, but Deran managed it. Hell, with all of the adrenaline kicking through his system he felt like he could carry Adrian all of the way to the hospital.

Craig was right and as they headed down Highway 1, following the sign for the 101, they ran into the H sign indicating the direction for the hospital. It ended up being twenty minutes into Santa Barbara and it was one of the longest twenty minutes of Deran’s life.

Adrian twitched in his arms and occasionally murmured inaudible words and it fucking scared Deran to death. What if something happened to Adrian? Deran didn’t think he could survive it.

Didn’t want to survive it.

They pulled up to the ER entrance and Craig hopped out, opening the door. Deran handed off Adrian to Craig until he exited the SUV, snatching the unconscious man back into his arms as soon as his feet hit the ground. Craig sprinted through the entrance, yelling for help. His brother cut an impressive figure and Deran was grateful for his presence.

A tired looking woman with dark hair appeared, mask dangling around neck. “How long has he been unconscious?”

Craig answered as Deran settled Adrian onto the gurney which had appeared. “About forty-five minutes.”

“Really?” The woman sounded both excited and skeptical and Deran’s head jerked up to try to get a read on her. “We’re going to take him back to an exam room but I need to get some history from you.” She motioned to a man and woman hovering by the gurney, masks firmly tied over their faces. They whisked Adrian away and Deran began to protest but Craig snagged his arm and held him in place.

The woman tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m Dr. Montoya. We’ve got a bit of a situation going on,” she paused and waved her hand toward the other side of the waiting room, “so I’ll try to make this brief. What was happening when your friend got sick?”

Deran pulled himself together. “We were surfing. We’d been in the water for about two hours when Adrian said he felt weird. He sounded congested and passed out. We paddled him in to shore and when I got him on the beach, he just…” Deran had to pause for a moment and rein his emotions in. “He quit breathing and I gave him mouth to mouth. 911 hasn’t picked up so we drove him here. What the hell is going on?”

The doctor pursed her lips. “Communications have been sporadically out but it appears some sort of pathogen is taking down seemingly healthy people from all walks of life. Do you know what blood type your friend has?”

“O negative.” Deran didn’t even miss a beat. Adrian had been thrashed on the rocks once and he’d almost needed a blood transfusion. Go figure his best friend had a rare blood type, the kind that required the same blood type for a transfusion.

Craig goggled at him but the doctor nodded her head. “So have the other victims who have presented.”

“Victims?” Pope had snuck up on the conversation but Deran didn’t even spare him a glance. He would circle back around to that when his brain wasn’t about to explode.

“By all reports the infected have died within fifteen minutes of their symptoms presenting. They never even make it to the hospital, at least not still breathing. Your friend is a bit of an anomaly so far.” Dr. Montoya’s mood had swung back toward excited. 

Deran wanted to punch her but Adrian needed her help.

“Doctor? His temperature is 105 and climbing,” the masked woman who had taken Adrian into the treatment area called from the doorway.

“What’s your friend’s name?” She asked as she moved briskly toward the treatment area.

“Adrian. Adrian Dolan.” Deran called back.

“I’ll come give you an update as soon as I can.” She broke into a jog and disappeared through the doorway.

Deran took a few steps toward that door but once again Craig grabbed his arm and hauled him back. 

“Where is everybody?” Pope was looking around. Usually ER Waiting rooms were filled with people moaning or fidgeting. This one was dead. There were some covered gurneys lining the far wall and Deran wondered if—

Someone cleared their throat. “Um, could you could fill out this information for your friend?”

It was another masked woman, this one standing far behind a desk that said Admissions, pointing to a clipboard on the surface.

Craig grabbed the clipboard. “Uh, yeah, sure. Hey, what’s going on here?”

The woman’s black eyebrows rose into her hairline. She leaned over as though she was going to whisper a secret but then realized no one else was in the vicinity and took another step back. “There have been over 100 fatalities reported in the last twenty-four hours in southern California alone. There’s talk it’s an act of terrorism or the military has something to do with it. Cell phone towers have crashed. There’s rioting in Los Angeles. The world is going crazy.” She shook her head and moved back into an office, closing the door.

“Dude, Zombie Apocalypse?” Craig looked spooked.

“Did Adrian look like a zombie to you?” Pope crossed his arms.

“Enough with the zombie talk!” Deran’s patience was at absolute zero. 

People were dying and Adrian might have whatever it was?

He sank into a hard, plastic chair and zoned out for a while but soon someone in a mask was asking for him by name. He rose to his feet and hustled after the gowned shape. “We’re moving him to another floor but he’s confused and asking for you. Try to keep him calm.”

Before Deran could enter the glassed off cubicle, the doctor intercepted him. “Your friend has some interesting bruises. Ordinarily I would ask him if he feels safe with you but he’s delirious from his fever. Can you tell me about your relationship with him and how he got the marks?”

Deran could feel his skin flushing with embarrassment. “Adrian is my boyfriend. The uh, marks here,” Deran jerked his thumb at his own neck, “are from this morning. We sort of tried something different?”

“So, you’re saying it was consensual?” Dr. Montoya pressed him for more details.

His embarrassment faded as Adrian called out weakly. “Deran?”

“Yes, it was consensual. Now can I see him?” Deran flinched as Adrian’s hoarse voice said his name again. He turned toward the doctor. “Please, he needs me.”

“Try to keep him calm. We’re treating his fever and we’ll be moving him upstairs to monitor him more closely.” She patted his arm but the comforting gesture lost a little something due to her gloved hand.

Deran paused in the doorway, turning back. “He’s going to be okay, right?”

Her lower face was covered by the mask but her brown eyes smiled. “I can’t guarantee anything but he’s definitely holding his own. He seems to be a fighter.”

He thought about all of the times Adrian had fought for their relationship. He was the one constant in Deran’s life. “Yeah, he’s a fighter.”

Adrian moaned and Deran couldn’t hold back any longer, making straight for the bed. “Hey, hey, I’m right here.”

Deran hooked a chair with his foot and dragged it over. It was reassuring to see Adrian awake but there was just something so wrong about seeing him in this condition. The head of the bed was tilted up and against the unrelenting white of the sheets, Adrian looked ghostly; he had dark smudges beneath his eyes but it was his skin, grayish tinged including his lips, that made Deran think of Craig’s talk of zombies. Hell, even his freckles were gray. 

There were oxygen prongs in his nose and an IV in his wrist and he fidgeted weakly against these minor restraints. The damned monitor kept bleating warnings and it ground down on Deran’s last nerve raw. 

Adrian’s blue eyes were glassy but he seemed to recognize Deran, holding his hand toward him. “Deran?”

“Yeah, Adrian, I’m right here.” He grasped Adrian’s hand which was warm to the touch. No, not warm; hot. He wasn’t sweaty though. 

“Something’s wrong.” Adrian wheezed the last word. He was leaning toward Deran, trying to get out of bed, and alarms on the screen tracking his vitals continued to intermittently go off. 

Deran stood up and leaned against the bed. “Hey, no, you need to stay there.”

Adrian looked up at Deran, blinking wide blue eyes, and whispered. “Hurts, Deran. Tearing apart inside”

Jesus, Adrian was breaking his heart. He looked so young—even sounded young—and it reminded Deran of when they were kids. He’d been labeled the bad influence and Adrian, well, he’d been considered the angelic one.

Adorable. Sweet. Caring.

Fragile.

And right now, very scared.

Huge tears leaked from his eyes and on someone else Deran would’ve called them crocodile tears meant to manipulate but Adrian didn’t even seem to be aware of his surroundings.

The quiet tears turned to soft sobs.

 _Fuck it_. Deran perched on the side of the bed and pulled Adrian into a gentle hug. His boyfriend draped his arms around Deran’s neck and made soft, hiccupping noises that made Deran’s eyes uncomfortably moist. “Shhhh, I’m right here, Adrian. You’re sick but you’re gonna be okay. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Everything’s wrong.” Adrian’s voice broke as he laid his head on Deran’s shoulder, his body heaving with the effort of his weeping.

Deran was not someone used to comforting others. Smurf had seen to that with her school of tough love. Taking care of Adrian had always come easily to Deran; his friend had been small and slight when they’d first met and although he was daring, he didn’t have a mean bone in his body. Deran protected Adrian when he could from the bullying of others, and he’d enjoyed it—it was another kind of high—but hiding his feelings from Smurf and brothers had been the difficult part. 

Being tender outside of sex was out of his comfort zone. What if he was doing this wrong?

He tried to make soothing noises and rub Adrian’s back but eventually he ended up just holding Adrian to his chest, rocking him slightly from side to side. He thought maybe Adrian had fallen asleep but he didn’t want to move him. At least he could hear him breathing, and occasionally wheezing, and the alarms had stopped blaring.

“I guess that answers that question. Adrian certainly trusts you.” Dr. Montoya was back, this time without her protective gear. “Does he have any family?”

“He’s got a sister and they don’t really talk much but I’m his partner. He’s only got me.” Deran had never really given that much of a thought but it was true. He had Craig, Pope, Lena and even J but Adrian only had Deran.

Smurf was out of the picture for now and good fucking riddance.

Dr. Montoya motioned the nurses coming down the hallway. “We’re ready to move him upstairs now. We’ve got a wing set aside on the third floor marked Isolation. Use the phone outside of the door and they’ll buzz you in. Your friends can wait for you in the family room on that floor.”

“Isolation? Is that really necessary?” Deran hadn’t given a thought to being exposed to whatever the hell this was. Everyone had been wrapped up in masks and gloves and shit but no one had told Deran to take those measures.

“It’s just a precaution. According to your brother, you’ve been exposed to this pathogen however long Adrian has and yet you’re not sick. I think the key has to do with his blood type. Do you know what yours is?”

“AB positive.” Deran had found that out the hard way while in jail. He absently rubbed the scar on his stomach. 

“Well just so you know, you can receive a transfusion from any blood type. Adrian’s not so lucky.” Dr. Montoya delivered that bit of news and then called the nurses into the cubicle.

Deran eased Adrian off his shoulder, back against the pillows. He cradled Adrian’s face, using his thumbs to swipe at the moisture on his skin. “Hang in there, Adrian. I’m going to get Craig and Pope and then I’ll find you.”

Adrian turned his face into Deran’s palm and nuzzled it but that was the only response he gave.

He stood up and moved out of the way. His legs wobbled and he didn’t know if he was exhausted from the physical exertion of carrying Adrian around or the emotional trauma. He was crashing hard now that the adrenaline was clearing his system.

Seeing Adrian pass out on his surfboard…laying on the sand, not breathing…Deran thought holding Adrian while he sobbed might have been the hardest on him. 

Adrian didn’t know it, probably wouldn’t believe it, but he was Deran’s source of strength. Sick and clinging to Deran while crying—it was hard to see Adrian that way.

At least Adrian was still breathing.

-0-

Adrian drifted in a haze of pain. He couldn’t find a comfortable position which made him think he was laying on Deran’s stupid mattress in the attic.

“Deran?” He thought he’d heard Deran’s voice before but when he’d opened his eyes, he couldn’t find him.

Vague nightmares chased his sleep, his joints, his muscles, hell, even his skin ached and he could never really shake the feeling he was in danger. Danger to himself didn’t thrill him but it also wasn’t a deal breaker—what he couldn’t stand the thought of was something happening to Deran.

“I’m right here, Adrain. Do you want some water?” Deran _was_ here. A rush of moisture hit his eyes and there wasn’t anything he could do to make it stop.

Deran hated crying. He needed to stop or he’d drive Deran away.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” A touch to his face startled him and he jumped. Someone—Deran—was drying his face. Deran’s voice got softer, like he was turned away. “Is this normal? He’s not a crier. A car once hit him while he was on his skateboard and he broke his arm in three places…he barely made a noise.”

A woman’s voice, low and soothing, answered. “The medications can make patients emotional. His body has been through a lot. The iced saline and hemodialysis we used to cool his fever was a shock to his system even though it worked.”

Adrian heard shifting around and then something hard nudged his lips. “Take a sip, Adrian. It’ll make you feel better.”

A straw. Adrian sucked lightly, moaning as the cool liquid hit his parched mouth. He hadn’t even realized how dry and thirsty he was. 

“Easy, there. Plenty more where that came from.” A hand smoothed the hair off his forehead. Deran’s hand. This was surreal; Deran cared for Adrian, of that he had no doubt, but he didn’t pet him in public or speak softly to him like this except maybe after sex.

The effort of drinking was exhausting and Adrian sunk back into his pillow.

He fell asleep to the murmur of Deran talking to the lady.

-0-

Craig stuck his head into Adrian’s room and found Deran but no Adrian. Was he too late? “Where’s A?”

“Taking a shower.” Deran stood up and stretched. “What’s up?”

“We’ve got a problem. We need to clear out.” Craig stuck his head outside the door and made sure no one was around.

“What the hell are you talking about? I’m not leaving Adrian.” Deran’s face was getting red.

Craig stepped into the room, tugging the sliding glass door closed. “I didn’t say anything about leaving Adrian. He’s the reason we need to leave.”

Deran tugged on his hair with both hands. “Are you high?”

No, Craig wasn’t high. He wished he was though. “The military’s coming to get Adrian. They want to experiment on him or some shit because he survived the virus.” It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since Adrian collapsed but they couldn’t stick around here. 

Deran opened his mouth, probably to argue—no one enjoyed arguing more than Deran—but he abruptly snapped it shut again. “But Adrian’s still sick.”

“We need to smuggle him out and get him away. Better he’s sick out there then stuck in a lab somewhere, right?” Craig had always liked Adrian and now that he was Deran’s other half, usually his better half, he was doing his best to watch out for the guy. 

Adrian arrived at that moment, pushed in the wheelchair by one of the nurses. Nancy. She had bodacious ta-ta’s and she was the one who had told him about the military. 

Nancy helped Adrian perch on the side of the bed, adjusting his IV stand. He was in a light blue robe and one those awful white gowns that barely covered what needed covering. It displayed way too much of Adrian’s pale skin. At least the guy didn’t look like a zombie anymore.

He did look exhausted, though, and that was just from taking a shower. Fuck. This wasn’t going to be easy.

“Dr. Montoya will be in to see you in a moment.” Nancy’s tone was professional but she gave Craig one of _those_ looks that told him he needed to act fast.

Deran took Adrian’s hands in his own and bent over so they were both on the same level. “How’re you doing?”

Adrian’s smile was crooked but his eyes were lucid for once. “Better. Just tired.”

Well, shit the guy hadn’t been breathing at this time yesterday so he supposed he would be tired. 

Dr. Montoya burst into the cubicle, startling everyone. “I need to remove his IV if you’re signing out against medical advice.”

Deran glanced at Craig over his shoulder and Craig nodded at him. Keeping one hand in his, Deran turned around to face the doctor. “Yeah. As long as you think it’s safe for Adrian.”

“I can give you Tylenol for his fever but other than keeping him hydrated, there isn’t much we can do for him here.” The doctor made eye contact with Adrian. “It’s your call.”

“But what’s going on?” Adrian looked to Deran for an answer.

This standing around without doing anything was killing Craig and he blurted out, “The military wants to experiment on you since you survived the virus. We need to leave. Now.”

“Maybe I should go with them? What if I can save some people?” Adrian hunched his shoulders, curling in on himself. For a reasonably sized guy, he sure could make himself look small.

Dr. Montoya answered. “I’ve taken blood samples, Adrian. That should be enough.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I contacted the CDC and was told you weren’t infectious and that someone from the Naval Base in San Diego would be here to collect you for testing. That’s not normal protocol. I’m not even sure it’s legal.”

“Come on, Adrian. We’re going.” Deran made the decision and Adrian didn’t argue it.

While the doctor was removing Adrian’s IV, Deran stood next to Craig. “Where’s Pope?”

“He’s bringing clothes for Adrian and getting us a ride.” Craig was a bit proud of himself since this was his plan but he didn’t brag or anything since they weren’t in the clear yet.

Pope entered the room carrying a bag. “Get him dressed. I’m pulling around back by the cafeteria.” He threw the bag at Deran and disappeared.

The doctor looked startled, Adrian looked resigned and Deran looked concerned. Craig supposed that was a pretty typical day for anyone coming in contact with Pope.

Dr. Montoya explained more about Adrian’s condition while Deran coaxed Adrian into his clothing. “I gave him a B-12 injection this morning to help with fatigue. Adrian needs to be kept hydrated and he needs rest.” She held out a bottle which Craig took possession of. “Take this Tylenol, it should help with his fever.”

“What about his lungs? Does he need an antibiotic?” Deran was helping Adrian pull a long -sleeved button-down shirt over a t-shirt but he paused to ask his question. Craig wasn’t surprised Deran had keyed in on Adrian’s lungs; he didn’t think he’d ever forget Adrian lying on the beach, chest unmoving and lips turning blue, while Deran gave him mouth-to-mouth.

“Right now Adrian’s lungs are clear. Prescribing an antibiotic without an infection would be irresponsible since that’s a leading factor in the creation of super bugs. I’m concerned though so keep an eye on him and get him help if his fever spikes over 101 or he gets congested. Just be careful about what provider you take him to. Oh, and here is the Against Medical Advice form—sign here, Adrian.” 

Adrian paused to scribble the paper. The doctor handed another form to Craig marked Discharge Instructions. 

Turning her attention back to Deran, she paused as if gathering her thoughts. “I don’t know if there any effects of the virus at this point but he’s not contagious so I think it’s in your best interest to take him out of here. Just keep an eye on him for other symptoms.” Her next words encompassed the whole room. “Good luck, guys.” She was gone before anyone could say anything.

Craig commandeered the wheelchair Nancy had left behind. “Come on, before Pope blows a gasket.”

Adrian stood up on shaky legs, Deran helping him. “Let me help him with his shoes.”

“I don’t think we have time right now. You can do that in the car.” Craig had a funny feeling they were running out of time.

Deran didn’t argue and they made for the elevators. As their elevator door was closing, the one next to it was dinging its arrival. Craig was pretty sure they’d just dodged a bullet.

Now they needed to get out of here before the shit hit the fan.

-0-

Adrian was dizzy as Deran pushed his wheelchair, chasing after Craig. They were probably a pretty comical sight as they loped, or in Adrian’s case wheeled, along the corridors. 

“Does he seem smaller to you?” Deran asked. Adrian didn’t know what he was talking about, or even who. Clinging to the arms of the wheelchair took all of his resources.

“Um, no? He’s been sick. Probably lost some weight. You need to hold it together, Deran. If Pope hears you talking like this, he’s going to lose it.” Craig hit an exit door at full speed but held it open as Deran steered him through. 

“What the fuck is with the clown car?” Craig sounded horrified.

A silver Prius was parked before them, driver’s window rolled down, Pope staring at them. “We needed something that would blend in on the road, not stand out. Now get your asses in the car already.”

Craig opened the rear passenger door and Deran kept a hand on Adrian’s upper arm as he stood up and slid into the car. Deran made sure he was completely tucked inside before he closed the door. The wheelchair was abandoned next to the door as Deran and Craig moved around the front of the car. Deran slid in next to Adrian and Craig…hit the top of his head on the roof as he got into the front passenger seat. “God fucking damn it, Pope, are you trying to kill me?”

Adrian thought he saw a slight smirk on Pope’s face in the rearview mirror but he wasn’t going to say anything. He had the desire to giggle—making a getaway in a Prius was too fucking precious—but he was afraid if he started, he wouldn’t be able to stop. 

“Everyone buckle up. We’re going to head out on the highway and make our way south, see if we can fly under the radar of these asshats.” Pope sounded confident and Adrian relaxed against the seat.

Deran reached across him, grabbing the seat belt. “Better buckle up. I hear these cars can go zero to sixty in a whopping sixty seconds.” His tone was raucous, probably trying to get a rise out of Pope, but his touch was very gentle as he smoothed the belt across Adrian’s body and fit the latch in the top of the buckle. When it clicked into place, Deran patted his thigh.

“Oh, fuck you. That acceleration takes under eleven seconds.” Pope pulled away from the back of the hospital and scooted through the parking lot until he merged into traffic on the road. 

Craig rubbed the top of his head and Adrian thought he was probably pouting. “What’s the plan?”

“We’ve got under a quarter of a tank of gas so we’ll get on the 101 and then find somewhere to stop once we put some distance between us and the hospital.” Pope’s eyes were hidden by sunglasses but his tone was still confident and cool. 

“I thought these hybrids were supposed to get good mileage. No one sure as hell would drive them for their head and leg room.” Craig grumbled some more.

Deran piped up. “They only get good mileage when there’s actual gas in the tank, doofus. I think it’s a great plan. Do you have some spare IDs?”

Craig answered. “I brought some credit cards so they shouldn’t be able to track us that way.” 

Spare credit cards? Oh, cards in someone else’s name. Adrian shivered but he didn’t know if it was his fever starting to climb again or the fact they were going to break the law. He knew that’s what Codys did—it was the family business—but he’d never imagined he’d be front row and center for it. 

“Hey, how are you feeling? You’re a little pale.” Deran squeezed his thigh.

Someone in the front seat snorted but Adrian couldn’t tell which brother, or why. It could’ve been because Deran was showing concern for Adrian. He got a look in the rearview mirror and decided that wasn’t the issue; he wasn’t a little pale, he was vampire levels of pale. The whites of his eyes had a pink tinge to them. If his hair was lighter, he’d resemble an albino. 

“Adrian?” Deran prompted him. 

“Just a little tired.” Adrian conceded. He didn’t want to admit to any weakness, not in front of Deran’s brothers, but they’d had to bring him downstairs in a wheelchair so he guessed it was game over on that front. 

Deran rubbed the back of Adrian’s neck. “Why don’t you close your eyes and try to get some rest.”

Adrian yawned. Whether he wanted to or not, he was probably going to fall asleep soon anyway. This virus had really kicked his ass. “Okay.”

His eyes closed and he quickly drifted off, the sound of the Codys speaking in hushed voices somehow reassuring.

It could’ve been the lack of movement or the door closing but Adrian woke up. He kept his eyes closed as he tried to figure out if he was feeling better, the same, or worse. 

Pope’s voice caught his attention even though he was speaking softly. “All’s I’m saying is that I’m not opposed to ditching him if things take a turn. I don’t have a beef with him but he’s not family.”

Adrian’s brain was foggy from sleep so he was slow on the uptake. Craig’s next words clarified things for him. “Adrian might not be our family but he’s Deran’s. No way in hell Deran would leave him behind.”

“You sure about that?” Pope shot back. 

The chugging of the pump cut off and Adrian recognized the sounds of the nozzle being put back and gas cap twisting tight. Adrian lifting his eyes enough to see Deran outside of his window, baseball cap low on his forehead and sunglasses firmly in place. He’d be hard pressed to recognize Deran with his face obscured like this.

Deran. Was he putting the man he loved in danger? He knew if their positions were reversed, he’d do everything he could to get Deran to safety and he felt confident Deran felt the same. Pope and Craig were a different story. Adrian didn’t want Deran to have to split off from them but he wouldn’t put up a fuss if Deran’s brothers thought he was more work than he was worth.

Hell, he wouldn’t put up a fuss if Deran decided that. He’d be crushed but he knew Deran had been conditioned to put the family first.

The door opened and Deran slid into the car. “The card worked. Let’s roll.” 

Adrian pushed himself upright from where he’d been resting against the window. His neck ached but before he could rub it, Deran’s strong fingers were massaging the area. “You hanging in there?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” Adrian’s voice, soft and sleep slurred, lacked conviction even to his own ears and Deran gave him a look but let it go.

There wasn’t anything either one of them could do while they were on the road and bitching about how he was feeling wouldn’t help.

A part of him wished they’d never made the trip north. Although maybe he’d still have gotten sick if they’d stayed at home. 

He contented himself with memories of the hot sex they’d had, not because he was in the mood to repeat it at the moment—hell, just sitting upright was taxing his strength—but because exploring something new and mind blowing had seemingly brought them closer together. 

He only hoped they’d get that chance again. He might just feel melancholy from being sick, and the discussion he’d overheard, but he suddenly felt on edge. 

Like time was running out and he was holding his breath, waiting to see what happened next. 

Deran took his hand in his and squeezed it giving Adrian that fuzzy, safe feeling. Time might be running but maybe, together, they could beat the clock.

Finis

**Author's Note:**

> That's a wrap. The prompt for this story was Pandemics/Epidemics and it concludes the posting I'm doing on AO3 for this year's bingo card. There is more to this story (posted on my LiveJournal) and eventually I hope to polish and share it.
> 
> Thank you for reading and Happy New Year!


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